Local Music Reviews
Split EP
Self-Released
Street: 09.19.12
Settle Down = I Am The Ocean + Underoath – clean vox
Sure Sign of the Nail = Teeth of Lions Rule The Divine + Saint Vitus
This split single is a fantastic introduction to two of Salt Lake’s finest bands, and the songs they’ve chosen have a great emotional contrast. Sure Sign of the Nail opens with “Flora and Fauna,” a slow, ambient, tranquil trip with a thick bass line, overlaid with beautiful humming guitar and deep vocals that remind me of some primitive, Gregorian chant, rattling the deep parts of your chest with its dark beauty. Settle Down ups the tempo on their track, “Zombie Powder: Poking the Sick Dog.” It has a groovy pop bounce that only enhances the intensity of the soaring guitars and thumping drums. The vocal back-and-forth between Dreu Hudson and Alex Johnson is so organic, so complementary. These dudes are above and beyond the crowd when it comes to finding the flow of their music and leaping in head-first with their talented screams. It’s a short ride, but it gets you salivating for bigger releases from these two